Form-support for printing-presses.



G. E.. PANGOAST. roam sUPPonT PoR PRINTING PRESSES. APPLICATION FILEDMAB. 6, 1900. BENEWED DEO.'3, 1904. l

Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

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w HE n w1 no sin as rara s i .GEORGE E. PANCOAST, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK,ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN LITHO- GRAPHIC COMPANY, .A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

FORliI-SUPPORT FOB PRINTING-PRESSES.

manos.

Application led `iarch 6, 1900, Serial No. 7,446.

Specication of Letters Patent.

To all 'whom ti may con/cem: l

Be it known that l, GEORGE E. PANcoAs'r, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings, State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Form-Supports forPrinting-Presses, of which the 'following is a specification. v Myinvention relates to form supports for printing presses and moreparticularly to supports for curved or cylindrical printing forms. Y v

It is desirable to make print-ing forms and particularly planographicforms used in multicolor presses as thin and light as possible. Topermit this the forms must be firmly and accurately supported` at everypart in order that they may not spring or give under the heavy pressuresrequired in printing. Heretofore thin or shelllike curved printing formsand particularly those that arev cylindrical or tubular have beenconstructed with an inner tapered surface, and the form support has beenprovided with a correspondingly tapered outer surface. The object ofthis construction is to rmly support the printing form at every part andyet permit its removal readily and without injury', it only beingnecessa to use mechanical means to start the form rom its support. Thisconstruction, however, is very ditlicult and expensive to produce withthe accuracy required ,inl practice. Moreover the printing .forms areliable to stick or become set onthe su ports and if in handling theybecome dentlhdv or distorted in shape it is difficult or impossible toget them on or oif their supports, and the supports will not reliablyrestore them to a true curved or cylindrical shape.i

v The object of my invention' is to rovide a form su port which has noneof t e enumerated isadvantages of the'tapered construction o'f the formand its su port and yet possesses all the advantages of) thatconstruction to ether with other advantages, among whic are these, thatthe printing forms maybe more readily removed and replaced; that anydefect vin vthe printing forms as to shape will beferadicated; thattheprinting forms may be made thinner andlighter; that the support maybe made with a lesser degree of accuracy as to its exterior shape anddimensions; and that the printing form` may be made with a lesser degreeof accuracy as to its interior shape and dimensions.

With. these objects in view my invention consists in the novel parts,improvements and combinations herein shown and described.

' The accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, show aconstruction embodying my improvements, and serving to illustrate theprinciples of my invention.

Figure l isan elevation partly in section of the form support with aform thereon, together with means for mounting the same in a press. Fig.2' is a transverse section of the form support taken on line rt-B,Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end elevation 4of the parts shown in Fig. 1,looking from the left. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal .section of the formsupport showing the parts in a different adjustment. Fig.' 5 is' anenlar ed sectional view of the parts shown to the eft in F ig: 1. v

ine

-view illustrating the operation of the devices for actuating theexpanding mechanism.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts wherever they occur in theseveral views. My form support is particularly adapted to be -nsed inmulticolor presses and especially that type of multicolor press in whicha plurality o"y curved planographic printing forms are arrangedconcentrically with a large impression drumLand cooperate therewith toprint multicoioiiedjdesigns upon paper or similar material in l'webVform and in ap roximately instantaneous succession.

n carrying my invention into effect the curved printing forms arepreferably made without any taper and the supporting surface, which inthe best embodiment of the invention is cylindrical when in operativeposition, is constructed to be contracted or reduced in diameter in alldirections so that the printing forms may be readily placed thereon andVremoved therefrom, and mechanism is provided for restoring the suporting surface to its cylindrical form suc .that the printing formsupported thereby, 'even though distorted, will be forced to assume itstrue curvature.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 1

` 15 mounte represents a supporting shaft which is journaled in boxes 2and 3 mounted in any suitable way in the frames 4 and 5 of the press. Asleeve 6 is mounted on the shaft 1, preferably in such manner thatit'must rotate therewith but may be moved longitudinally thereof, therebeing rovided for this purpose, as shown, a spline and key connection 7between these parts. The supporting surface of my device is formed by aplurality of sectionsS which rest upon and are carried by the sleeve 6.In order that the diameter of the surface formed vby the sections 8 maybe reduced to receive a printing form and then forcibly expanded again,the exterior of the sleeve 6 is longitudinally tapered preferably fromend to end, as shown, and the interior surface of the sections 8 arecorrespondingly tapered so that they will exactl. lit the taperedsurface of the sleeve 6 w en the support is expanded to operativeposition. The sections 8 are withheld from longitudinal movement withthe sleeve 6 by the segmental extensions 9, lwhich Aenga e acorresponding groove 10 formed in a co ar 11 rigidly secured near oneendof the shaft 1. The shaft 1 is driven and with it the form support by agear 12 carried by the collar 11. The sections 8 are held in place onthe sleeve 6 and are coninedto rotate therewith by the dovetailed keys13 which engage corresponding undercut key ways 14 formed fin the sleeve6. By reason of the engagement of the dovetailed keys 13 with theundercut key ways 14 in the sleeve 6 the sections 8 are caused to moveinwardly as well as outwardly by the longitudinal 'movement of thesleeve 6.

The sleeve 6 may be moved longitudinally to e and or contract thesupporting surface y any suitable means. The means shown and referablyused consist of a sleeve d on the shaft 1 and engaged therewith by athread 16. The sleeve 15 is connected to the sleeve 6 by a ring orthimble 17 bolted or otherwise secured at one end to the sleeve 6 andengaged with the sleeve 15 by a thread 1 8 having a pitch opposite tothat of thread 16. The sleeve 15 1s provided with a head 19, by which itmay be turned on the shaft 1 or held from turning with the shaft. Itwill be seen that any movement between the sleeve 15 and the shaft 1will operate to move the tapered sleeve 6 in one direction or the other,de pending on the direction of the movement etween the sleeve 15 andshaft. The expandin and contracting operations are prefera lyaccomplished by holding the sleeve 15 and rotatmg the shaft by themechanism provided in the press for rotating the printing cylinder, asmore speed and reater force in the operation can be secured 1n this way.For the purpose of holding the sleeve 15 against rotation with the shaft1, a dog -with,`as indicate is provided with a recess or series of`recesses 21 and the dog 2O is preferably pivoted and held in its normalposition by'a spring 22, as shown, Yso that the' dog, can yield when thehead is brou ht 'into engagement therein Fig. 9. When the shaft isturned and one ofthe recesses 21 arrives in alinement with the dofr 20,the dog will snap into the recess and prevent further turning of thesleeve 13. The dog is carried by a bracket 23 secured to the housing forthe box 2. The bracket is held in place by bolts 24 and may be adjustedup or down to suit the various positions occupied by the shaft 1 whenprinting `forms of different sizes are used.

It is desirable that the -form su port should be adjustable for forms ofdifllerent curvatures or diameters. To this end the sections 8l are maderemovable and may be replaced by sections 8a of .dilferent radialdimensions, as indicated in Fig-9. To permit ready removal of thesections-8 or 81L the keys 13 and their key-ways 14 are so constructedand arranged that when the sleeve 6 is withdrawn to the limit of itsmovement to the left, the-keys 13 will be withdrawn from the undercut-part of the key ways 14, thus leavino' the sections 8 or 8*? free tobe removed. printing surface 25 is. shown `in place upon the support inseveral of-the figures. Y

While the operative fadjustment of the supporting surface formed by thesections 8 or Sain the embodiment of my invention which is illustrated,is the fully expanded adjustment of that surface, it is obvious thatsome other adjustment might be made the operative one the essentia inthis respect being that when the` supporting surface is in its operativeadjustment, the combined outer surfaces of the sections 8 or 8% form atrue cylindrical supporting surface which may be reduced in diameter inall directions. The sections 8 are, preferably and as shown, soconstructed as to form a substantially complete supporting surface whenin the operative position or adjustment. This construction 1spermissible by reason of the fact that the contraction of the supporting-surface from operative position only needs to-be very slight, and thespace between adjacent sections may, therefore, be so small aspractically not to interrupt the sup orting surface.

My invention is not limitedi to the articular construction illustratedvor to t e particularA construction by which it is carried avance cipleof myv invention and many such changesl will readily suggest themselvesto skilled mechanics.

` What lclaim as nevv and desire to'secure. -by Letters Patent, is :f

l. A `contractible=and expansible support for a printing form comprisinga plurality of radially adjustable supporting sections and means foradjusting them,- said sections being removable andv replaceable bysections diameter of the support maybe varied for fgrms of did'erentcurvatures,substantial-ly as described. 1 l

2. A support for a printing form adjustable in diameter Aand,constructed to present, 4in, one adjustment, a substantially completeand a true and uniform curved supporting surface Which may be reduced indiameter in all directions, substantially as described.

A3. A support for a printing form adjustable in diameter and constructedto present, in one adjustment, a substantiallycomplete and a true anduniform cylindrical supporting surface which may be reduced in diameterin all directions, substantially as described,

4. A support for a printingform comprising radially adjustable sectionsso constructed that they together present,l in one adjustment, asubstantially complete and a true and uniform curvedsupporting surfacewhich may be reduced in diameter inl all directions, substantially asdescribed.

5. A. support for a. rinting form 'compris-y ing radially adjustab esections so constructed that they together present, in one adjustment,ay substantially complete and a true 'and uniform curved supportingsurface which may be reduced in diameter in all directions, saidsections being removableand replaceable by sections of differentdimensions, whereby the diameterof the support may be variedv for`forms'of diderent curvatures. s

6. A contractible and expe-risible support for a (printing, formconstructed to be con I tracte in all directions and to present, whenfully expanded, a substantially complete supporting surface'having atrue circular outline.

7. A. contractible and eiipansible su port for a printing formcomprising ra ially adjustable support-ing sections so constructed thatthey together present, when in the outermost position, a substantiallycomplete and a true and uniform curved supporting surface. j Y

8. A contractible and expansible support for a rinting form comprisingradially adjustable `supporting' sections' sov constructed that theytogether present, when in the outermost position, a substantiallycomplete and a true and uniform curved supporting surface, said sectionsbeing removable and replaceable by sections of. different dimensions,Whereby the diameter of the support may be varied for forms vof diderentcurvatures.`

9. A contractible and eXpansible support for a printing form comprisingradially adjustable supporting sections held against longitudinalmovement and having longitudinally tapered inner surfaces, a shaft, aninner expanding section mounted thereon 'and having a longitudinallytapered outer surface, and means for moving said inner sectionlongitudinally. f

l0. A contractible and expansible support for a printing form comprisingradially adjustable supportingl sections heldv against longitudinalmovement, a shaft, an inner adjusting section mounted thereon, and

vmeans for moving said' inner section longitudinally consisting of asleeve threaded` on the shaft and engaging said adjustingsection by athread of the opposite itch.'

ll. A contractible and expansibe support for a printing form comprisingradially adjustable supporting sections held against longitudinalmovement and having longitudinally tapered inner surfaces, a shaft, an

inner adjusting section mounted thereon and having a longitudinallytapered outer surface, andmeans for moving said inner sectionlongitudinally consisting of a sleeve threaded on the shaft and engagingsaid adjusting section by a thread of the opposite pitch.

12. The combination in a press with a contractible and expe-risible suport for a printing form, of a supporting s aft therefdr, means forturning said shaft, devices for contracting or expanding said support,and means for operating said devices including a part rotatably mountedon said shaft and means for holding said part against rotation uwith theshaft.

i3. The combination in a press With a contract-ibis and expansiblesupport for a printing form, of a supporting shaft therefor, means forturning said shaft, devices for contracting or expanding said support,and means foroperating said devices including a part threaded on theshaft and engaging said devices by a thread of the opposite pitch andymeans for holding said part aainst rotation with theshaft.

lli. n a printing press, a support for planographic surfaces adjustable1n diameter and constructed to present in one acl-- tions, sai

together present, inone adjustment, a substantially completev supportingsurface having a substantially true andnniforrn circular outline, whichsurface may be reduced in diameter in all directions substantially as.

gitudinally with relation to the other, thev connections between saidparts being constructed torelease the sections when the parts are at onelimit'of their relative movement. v

17. A contractible and expansible support for rinting forms, comprisingradially adjustabie supportin sections, means for supportin and radia 1yadjusting said secmeans being constructed to release said sections whenthey are in their mostl contracted condition.

, 18. A contractible and expansible sup.; porting cylinder for printingforms comprising radially movable supporting sections, and positlvelyacting means independent of the forms for moving said sections radiallyinward from their su porting positions to release the forms, sustantially as described.

19. A contractible and expansible sup porting cylinder. for printingforms comprising radially movable supporting sections, and meansindependent of the forms whereby said sections may be positively movedinwardly from their su porting positions to release the forms, sustantially as described.

20. A contractible and expansible ysupporting "cylinderfffor printingforms; comprising radially moving supporting sections, and positivelyacting means independent of the forms for moving'said' sections in-Wardly from their supporting positions to release the forms,substantially as described.

21. A cont'ractible and expansible supporting cylinder for printingforms comprising radially moving supporting sections, andpositivelyacting means independent of the forms for moving said sections inwardlyfrom their supporting positions to release the forms, said means beingconstructed to prevent relative movement in a longitudinal directionbetween said sections.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribin witnesses@ G ORGE E. PANGOAST.

Witnesses:

GEo. H. BARNES, JACOB MILLER.

